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Today, the Star Alliance is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Over the past five years, this first really global airline grouping has become the leading alliance in the international airline business. From just five members on its founding in 1997, the Star Alliance now boasts 14 prestigious names in the international airline industry in its fold: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, bmi British Midland, Lauda Air, Lufthansa, Mexicana, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai International, Tyrolean, United Airlines and
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A Star Alliance plane takes off somewhere in the world every eight seconds, no less than 10,729 daily. In their global network, the alliance airlines serve 729 destinations in 124 countries.
The Star Alliance's principal attribute is its focus on customer requirements. "The pivotal element in the success of the Star Alliance is the degree to which it satisfies customer needs for network size, fast transfers, service and recognition of customer status," said Lufthansa Chairman and CEO Jürgen Weber. "Network reach and range, and integration depth are, therefore, issues which will continue to occupy us in the Star Alliance."
Star Alliance customers can earn and fly off bonus miles anywhere in the route network. Integrated and harmonised products and processes have optimised customer service, making air travel more comfortable than ever before. Moreover, the Star Alliance offers more value for money. "Every Star airline is offering more than before through cooperation with other alliance partners. Synergies have led, for example, to attractive fares being offered by airlines alliances more often than otherwise in the market," Weber said.
More than 500 lounges around the world are open to passengers. Among them is the Star Alliance lounge in Zurich, which the industry rates among the ten best in the world. At many of the world's airports, Star Alliance airlines have moved into the same terminal to shorten customers walking distances. Where possible, they park their aircraft close together to make transfers easier and more convenient for passengers.
The launch of "StarNet" has been a huge success. This sophisticated IT solution links the diverse booking systems of all the alliance airlines, allowing them to communicate with one another. A passenger can have a flight reservation with one alliance member altered at another, even if their booking systems are based on different DP formats. "StarNet" does the job of a "friendly translator", allowing the alliance's computer systems to exchange data in a common language across system boundaries. |
